Two too much: South Dundas staff told to trim budget

The South Dundas Municipal Center in Morrisburg, Ont. (Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston, File)

SOUTH DUNDAS – Council will get a look in a week-and-a-half at how successful township staff have been able to trim their budgets.

This, after Coun. Marc St. Pierre was reportedly not happy with a proposed two per cent tax rate increase. He wants it to come in around 1.5 per cent.

The two per cent increase would have meant an extra $16.57 in a home worth $180,000, not including the tax increase from the county and education taxes.

The draft budget calls for an increase of $364,500, or seven per cent more in spending in 2016.

After two days of budget deliberations last week, municipal staff were told to go back and trim.

Their recommendations will be coming back to the March 1 council meeting.

The budget includes $1 million for the roads department.

There’s $50,000 proposed for each of the waterfront plans for Iroquois and Morrisburg, though Iroquois is expected to get less because some money was advanced for a public-private investment deal with businessman John Ross.

The South Dundas budget will likely be done in March.